Jane: A Flight to Freedom, 1860 to 1861

by Donald J. Devine

The novel JANE provides a panoramic view of the attitudes of people in both the North and the South during the months leading up to the Civil War, and then continues through the first major events of that war.It starts at a large plantation in Virginia, where Jane is taken advantage of, and then falls into a forbidden love which is doomed to have a tragic end. Before that can happen she finds herself in an unexpected and violent escape.The novel follows Jane’s adventures on the Underground Railroad. It turns out to be a harrowing and dangerous experience, much of it set on the Chesapeake Bay. She meets many interesting people and challenges along the way, as she grows into a confident and successful young woman.The reader is introduced to varying opinions of slavery and secession among a variety of characters in both the South and the North, including the often conflicted attitudes about slavery and war of the Quakers in Philadelphia and the Dunkards (related to the Amish) in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, as well as the differences of outlook between house slaves and field slaves, masters and slaves, Irish and African-Americans, and more. The reader gets a vision of slavery as it actually existed.This is a story of adventure, a coming of age, and the meaning of love and affection. It includes tales of ambushes, narrow escapes, rescue missions, robberies, chases, scenes from life in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, high-pitched political emotions, a dramatic presidential election, secession, riots, and battling armies.It goes on to describe war mobilization in both the North and the South, and provides eyewitness accounts of the riots in Baltimore, the Siege of Washington and the First Battle of Bull Run.The action is set on a Virginia Plantation, and in Williamsburg, Hampton, Yorktown, West Point, Deltaville, Richmond, and Manassas Junction, Virginia; Galesville, Baltimore, Rock Hall, Jarrtesville, and Bush River, Maryland; Elizabethtown, Lancaster and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Cincinnati, Ohio.

570 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2007

Reviews

[Cindy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, I quit this book at page 131! Why, do you ask? Out of the blue the author decided to include a homosexual character! Society keeps pushing this behavior as natural and I am sick of it!

[Kathryn]

I read this ages ago and thought of it today because I'm studying the colonies in my history class. It was too graphic for me. I kept skimming the sex, rape and violence parts. I felt the gay element was not necessary.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've finished this book now, just doing some re-reading for my book club meeting coming up in a week or so. After, I'll give more details.